Egyptian Islamist groups seek truce

CAIRO (AP) — Top leaders of two of Egypt's former militant groups are offering an initiative to halt bloodshed, in which Islamists will stop street protests if the government stops its crackdown on them.

The initiative announced by leaders of Egypt's Gamaa Islamiya and Islamic Jihad movements, which waged an insurgency in the 1990s, aims to bring dialogue between the military and the Muslim Brotherhood, from which ousted President Mohammed Morsi hails.

Jihad leader Mohammed Abu Samra told The Associated Press on Monday that negotiations had no "red lines." Islamists had previously insisted that Morsi be restored to power as starting point for any talks.

Brotherhood protests against Morsi's July 3 overthrow and subsequent violence have become much smaller over the past week, and much of the group's leadership has been arrested.